presents at the Uilenburgersjoel:
Al onder de Boomen
Ensemble Woudzang performs new compositions by Wessel van der Ham, based on the poetry of Hélène Swarth
Ensemble Woudzang is an 8-voice a cappella ensemble, founded especially for the project "Al Onder de Boomen" ("Beneath the Trees").
At the heart of this project is the poetry of Hélène Swarth, taken from her collection of the same name.
Swarth (1858–1918) was once celebrated as “the singing heart of our literature”, yet her work now risks fading into obscurity. Her poetry is exquisite, evocative, and deeply worth preserving. Composer Wessel van der Ham has created new musical settings for Swarth’s poems, drawing inspiration from the rich madrigal traditions of the 16th and 17th centuries.
During the concert, Swarth's poems will be recited alongside these new compositions, inviting the audience into a world of timeless forests, surrounded by ageless trees and birds, and immersed in eternal questions about the human condition and the mystery of existence.
Nanette Mans and Anna Bachleitner - soprano
Neline Adams and Rita Fernández - alto
Gijsbert Westland and Roy van Vugt - tenor
Wessel van der Ham and Jacopo Piantanida Chiesa - bass
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: This concert will take place in de Uilenburgersjoel - Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 91